Zulfiqar Abbas, who returned from the war-torn Iraq on Thursday, gave a detailed account of the alarming situation there and termed the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants as 'ferocious' and worse than wild animals.
Speaking to ANI, Abbas said that the situation in Iraq is very dangerous and the ISIL militants are ruthlessly killing people of both Shia and Sunni communities. “The ISIL wants to create a different nation,” Abbas said.
In what will be a huge relief for the families of 40 Indians stranded in the Middle East country, Abbas informed that they are safe in Iraq and the Indian embassy is trying to secure their release.
However, he maintained that the situation is very tense in Iraq.
The government on Wednesday said that 40 Indian nationals working for a Turkish construction company have been abducted in violence-hit Iraq's Mosul area, which has been taken over by Sunni militants.
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj today sought to assure the families of the kidnapped Indian nationals, saying the government was making all possible efforts to resolve the crisis.
The MEA has also set up a round-the-clock control room to provide information on Iraq. The same can be reached at 011-23014104 (telephone), 011-23018158 (fax) or through email at controlroom@mea.gov.in.
ISIS has taken control of several Iraqi cities from the state forces and is also posing a threat to the capital Baghdad. The Iraqi government has requested the US to launch air strikes against ISIS militants.
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Source: ZeeNews